As Christians prepare for the resurrection of Christ at Easter, the Jewish community celebrates Passover for eight days, beginning Monday evening. Families prepare kosher-style, meals of baked chicken, gefilte fish, matzo ball soup and other foods appropriate for the occasion.

Passover foods and traditions are rooted in the Jews’ exodus from Egypt after 400 years of slavery, and that firstborn Hebrew male children were “passed over” being slain in Egypt by edict.

Matzo, the unleavened bread made from flour and water, reminds the observers that the Jews leaving Egypt were in a hurry, and had no time to allow their bread to rise.

Karpas is a vegetable, usually parsley, dipped in salt water and eaten to symbolize tears shed as a result of slavery.

Maror is bitter herbs, such as horseradish, eaten to symbolize the bitterness of slavery. It is usually eaten with apples, nuts, cinnamon and wine, to represent the mortar used by Jews for building.

Very strict Jewish observance calls for removal of all chametz (rye, barley, wheat, oats and spelt) from the home. The grains also may not be fed to pets during Passover. Every speck of chametz must be cleansed from the house.

“Different people have different traditions,” said Kehilla’s Rabbi Dev Noily. Her family “does a pretty thorough cleaning, and a spring cleaning,” she said. “Some people have a separate set of dishes only for the Seder.” If possible, no work is done the first and last two days of Passover, which ends after sundown on April 25.

There are similarities between Christianity and Judaism. Beitzah is a hard-boiled egg placed on plates to symbolize the renewal of life. Non-Jewish families have Easter egg hunts for the children. It is said that the Last Supper with Jesus Christ was a Seder meal.

“The themes of renewal of birth, Earth, plants and animals have a shared sense of symbolism and meaning,” Noily said.